- Lean, synth-loaded techno tracks to light up a dance floor.
- About a year ago, Intacto, the label Shinedoe runs with Dylan Hermelijn (2000 & One) released a collection called Best Of Shinedoe, which looked back on the last 14 years of the Dutch artist's music. Among the many simple—and often effective—techno tracks on offer, one thing really stood out: she loves synths. Chinedum Nwosu seems to believe in the power of a big, central synthesizer line, using them to lead her minimalistic grooves. We got some nice examples of this throughout 2019, including the acid stomper "Glaciers Meltdown," and she now shows up on Rekids Special Projects, the label's techno-leaning subsidiary, with some more heat in the shape of Feelings.
He wouldn't write synth parts with quite the same tone or texture, but Robert Hood's lean techno style feels closely connected to what Nwosu does. This is clearest in the two versions of "Nature Save Us," and in particular the way she uses sputtered clusters of toms and layers claps on the kick pattern. The original version features a squidgy acid line and dramatic pads, but for me the "Beats Mix" is where it's at, the groove and occasional vocal snatch more than enough to make a convincing point. A discordant but pretty synth line gives "Roots Are Calling" an inviting sense of wonkiness, and "Feelings" does indeed pack emotional overtones, its arpeggio dominating the arrangement but seeming slightly sad about it.
TracklistA1 Feelings
A2 Roots Are Calling
B1 Nature Save Us
B2 Nature Save Us (Beats Mix)